Characterization of ConE, the VirB4 Homolog of the Integrative and Conjugative Element ICE of Bacillus subtilis.

Conjugation is a major form of horizontal gene transfer, contributing to bacterial evolution and the acquisition of new traits. During conjugation, a donor cell transfers DNA to a recipient through a specialized DNA translocation channel classified as a type IV secretion system (T4SS). Here, we focused on the T4SS of ICE, an integrative and conjugative element in Bacillus subtilis.

Toll-Like Receptors Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment.

The involvement of inflammation in cancer progression is well-established. The immune system can play both tumor-promoting and -suppressive roles, and efforts to harness the immune system to help fight tumor growth are at the forefront of research. Of particular importance is the inflammatory profile at the site of the tumor, with respect to both the leukocyte population numbers, the phenotype of these cells, as well as the contribution of the tumor cells themselves.

Effect of laminin environments and tumor factors on the biology of myeloid dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune cells that surveil the organism for infections or malignancies and activate specific T lymphocytes initiating specific immune responses. Contrariwise, DCs have been show to participate in the development of diseases, among them some types of cancer by inducing angiogenesis or immunosuppression. The ultimate fate of DC functions regarding their role in disease or health is prompted by signals from the microenvironment.

Folic acid modifies the shape of epithelial cells during morphogenesis via a Folr1 and MLCK dependent mechanism.

Folic acid supplementation can prevent neural tube defects, but the specific molecular mechanisms by which it does have not been elucidated. During neural plate morphogenesis, epithelial cell apical constriction cooperates with other events to drive tissue-bending, and when defective, can result in neural tube defects. A Rho-kinase deficient binding mutant of the apical constriction regulating protein, Shroom3 (Shroom3), is one of only a handful of mouse mutant lines with neural tube defects that can be rescued by folic acid supplementation.

Modulation of double-stranded RNA pattern recognition receptor signaling in ovarian cancer cells promotes inflammatory queues.

Inflammation and cancer are inter-related, and both pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects are possible in different contexts, highlighting the importance of characterizing specific inflammatory pathways in distinct tumor types. Malignant cells and non-cancerous cells such as fibroblasts, infiltrating leukocytes (i.e.

Regulation of inflammatory factors by double-stranded RNA receptors in breast cancer cells.

Malignant cells are not the only components of a tumor mass since other cells (e.g., fibroblasts, infiltrating leukocytes and endothelial cells) are also part of it.

deficiency leads to a syndrome of abnormal striatum, congenital cataract and intellectual disability.

Background: Voltage-gated potassium channels are highly diverse proteins representing the most complex class of voltage-gated ion channels from structural and functional perspectives. Deficiency of these channels usually results in various human disorders.

Objectives: To describe a novel autosomal recessive syndrome associated with deficiency leading to congenital cataract, abnormal striatum, intellectual disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Lens placode planar cell polarity is dependent on Cdc42-mediated junctional contraction inhibition.

Development of the ocular lens commences with the formation of the lens placode, an epithelial structure that thickens and subsequently bends inward in a process called invagination. Invagination is observed during the development of many embryonic structures, but the spectrum of morphogenetic events driving this process are, in most cases, not fully understood. A characteristic commonly found in embryonic tissues undergoing epithelial reorganization is planar polarity, a property where cells are geometrically and/or molecularly orientated in a specific direction along the plane of an epithelium.

Thyroid bud morphogenesis requires CDC42- and SHROOM3-dependent apical constriction.

Early development of the gut endoderm and its subsequent remodeling for the formation of organ buds are accompanied by changes to epithelial cell shape and polarity. Members of the Rho-related family of small GTPases and their interacting proteins play multiple roles in regulating epithelial morphogenesis. In this study we examined the role of Cdc42 in foregut development and organ bud formation.

Toll-like Receptors in Ovarian Cancer as Targets for Immunotherapies.

In the last decade, it has become apparent that toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling can play an important role in ovarian cancer (OC) progression. Interestingly, TLR activation in immune cells can help activate an anti-tumor response, while TLR signaling in tumor cells themselves is often associated with cancer-promoting inflammation. For example, it has been shown that TLR activation in dendritic cells can result in more effective antigen presentation to T cells, thereby favoring tumor eradication.

Perspectives on reprograming cancer-associated dendritic cells for anti-tumor therapies.

In recent years, the relevance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in the progression of cancer has gained considerable attention. It has been shown that the TME is capable of inactivating various components of the immune system responsible for tumor clearance, thus favoring cancer cell growth and tumor metastasis. In particular, effects of the TME on antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells (DCs) include rendering these cells unable to promote specific immune responses or transform them into suppressive cells capable of inducing regulatory T cells.

Dendritic cells: In vitro culture in two- and three-dimensional collagen systems and expression of collagen receptors in tumors and atherosclerotic microenvironments.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are immune cells found in the peripheral tissues where they sample the organism for infections or malignancies. There they take up antigens and migrate towards immunological organs to contact and activate T lymphocytes that specifically recognize the antigen presented by these antigen presenting cells. In the steady state there are several types of resident DCs present in various different organs.

Absence of CD4 T-cell help provides a robust CD8 T-cell response while inducing effective memory in a preclinical model of melanoma.

Immunotherapy strategies for cancer are focused on inducing effective and specific cytotoxic responses mediated by CD8 T cells. On the other hand, immunosuppressive mechanisms induced by the tumor, such as the generation of tumor-specific CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) Tregs, conspire against the efficacy of immunotherapies. It has been considered that, similar to what has been observed in the context of immunological responses towards microbes, CD4 help is indispensable for the development of a successful and long-lasting (memory) CD8 immune response.

Adhesion to substrates induces dendritic cell endothelization and decreases immunological response.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen presenting cells capable of inducing specific immune responses against microbial infections, transplant antigens, or tumors. DCs have been shown to possess a high plasticity showing different phenotypes in response to their microenvironment. For example, tumor-associated DCs can acquire an angiogenic phenotype thus promoting tumor growth.

Toll-like receptors as novel therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is an aggressive disease that affects approximately 1 in 70 women and has a poor prognosis (<50%, 5-year survival rate), in part because it is often diagnosed at a late stage. There are three main types of OC: neoplasms of surface epithelial, germ cell, or stromal origin, with surface epithelial tumors comprising about 80% of all OCs. In addition to improving diagnostics, it is necessary to develop more effective treatments for epithelial-origin OC.

Dendritic cells the tumor microenvironment and the challenges for an effective antitumor vaccination.

Many clinical trials have been carried out or are in progress to assess the therapeutic potential of dendritic-cell- (DC-) based vaccines on cancer patients, and recently the first DC-based vaccine for human cancer was approved by the FDA. Herewith, we describe the general characteristics of DCs and different strategies to generate effective antitumor DC vaccines. In recent years, the relevance of the tumor microenvironment in the progression of cancer has been highlighted.

Generation and labeling of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells with Qdot nanocrystals for tracking studies.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells (APCs) found in peripheral tissues and in immunological organs such as thymus, bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. DCs present in peripheral tissues sample the organism for the presence of antigens, which they take up, process and present in their surface in the context of major histocompatibility molecules (MHC). Then, antigen-loaded DCs migrate to immunological organs where they present the processed antigen to T lymphocytes triggering specific immune responses.

The interplay between surfaces and soluble factors define the immunologic and angiogenic properties of myeloid dendritic cells.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen presenting cells capable of inducing specific immune responses against microbial infections, transplant antigens, or tumors. Interestingly, microenvironment conditions such as those present in tumor settings might induce a DC phenotype that is poorly immunogenic and with the capability of promoting angiogenesis. We hypothesize that this plasticity may be caused not only by the action of specific cytokines or growth factors but also by the properties of the surfaces with which they interact, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) components.